Klean Kanteen: the non-toxic non-plastic stainless steel bottle

People are finally becoming aware that plastic not only kills when it's over your head.

Plastic also kills slowly when it stores your food, stores your drink and resides in your blood effecting embryonic development and fertility.

There is so much research pointing to the harmful effects of plastics that it finally is becoming recognized.

What to do about it?

• Get a Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle. Which one? I recommend getting the Klean Kanteen with the Loop Top or Sport top. Why? Because these two tops are stainless steel where it connects with the bottle and where it touches the contents. The Sport Top is all polypropylene #5 (which is supposed to be the safest plastic). The Sippy spout is made from polypropylene #5 and also where baby sucks is silicon - which is supposedly quite safe.
• Get reusable shopping bags made from cotton or hemp or burlap. Trader Joe's sells them as do many other stores. Get them and stop those baggers asking you 'Paper or plastic?'
• Recycle all your plastic bags at Fred Meyer or find other stores near you which take back plastic bags.
• Toss or recycle your plastic food storage containers. Get stainless steel bowls and glass containers and glass jars. Costco has great prices on these items.
• Toss or recycle your plastic water bottle. The harder the plastic, the more toxic it is. Why? It is because the harder the plastic, the more bisphenol A it has in it. Bisphenol A is what can cause infertility.

People are waking up slowly. As an environmental medicine specialist, I am very pleased to hear it. We live in a toxic world - at least we can minimize our own exposures.

Minimize yours.

• Get a Klean Kanteen.
• Get stainless steel bowls
• Get glass containers
• Get reusable cotton shopping bags.
• Don't microwave in plastic
• Don't cook in plastic
• Don't use plastic bags

Melatonin and Trying to Get Pregnant

Question:
Any information on melatonin use in women contemplating pregnancy? Thanks.
Dr. C H

Answer:
Dr H -

It is not recommended as melatonin suppresses release of GnRH.

Here is a study considering using melatonin as a form of birth control.

Patients trying to get pregnant should not be on melatonin.

For patients who are infertile, morning full spectrum light is used to
suppress melatonin production and increase GnRH production.

Dr Ben Lynch, ND

Infertility: Alternative Therapies for Infertile Women

Being infertile may not be the end-all diagnosis and it may not have to require $10,000 dollars which may or may not correct the problem. If you find that you are not ovulating (which is anovulation), there are many causative factors.

During Endocrinology this morning, a naturopathic physician brought up some interesting points regarding anovulation:

• sleep with your room absolutely black as this blocks melatonin production. If you cannot get your room black, get an eye mask.
• evaluate serum prolactin levels as elevated prolactin stops ovulation. (this is why breastfeeding mom's do not ovulate)
• evaluate thyroid hormone levels because if they are elevated, then TRH is elevated which then elevates prolactin.
• if you are taking melatonin supplements, this may be a factor as melatonin slows the release of GnRH which triggers sex hormones to be released
• have a full spectrum light and stare into it for 30 minutes every morning
• as mentioned above, make sure your bedroom is pitch black every night except for nights 12-14 have a 5 watt night light plugged in. This little light acts as artificial moonlight which is known to trigger ovulation. Make sure that the night light is only 5 watts and on for nights 12-14 of your cycle.

A case study of an infertile woman:

A woman of child-bearing age who was not ovulating was evaluated for infertility. The doctors found that she had a fibrotic fallopian tube which prevented her from getting pregnant. They said the only way she could get pregnant is if they surgically repaired the tube.

I guess they forgot that woman have two fallopian tubes.

She came to see a naturopathic physician as she didn't want the surgery. The ND ordered the following labs: TSH, prolactin, CBC, chem panel, female sex hormones along with a few others. Her labs showed she was hypothyroid, had elevated prolactin and her estrogen and progesterone levels were fine.

The ND prescribed armour thyroid, multivitamin, and told her about how to sleep properly with a dark bedroom except for nights 12-14 with the night light, stop taking her melatonin supplement and to stare into the full spectrum light each morning for 30 minutes.

In 3 months, she was pregnant as her thyroid stabilized, prolactin went back to normal levels and allowed her body to ovulate.

If you're diagnosed as infertile, locate a physician who will work with you to find the cause. Why are you infertile? That is the question and then it is up to your physician to assist you in finding ways to resolve it.

It is not always necessary to have expensive treatments.